Travelling Back
by Elphaba01
Summary: "Are you sure about that?" he said, almost teasingly. "What if, by chance, I travel back in time and kill your most precious warrior when he couldn't even fight back? You know, just in case I was the Titan of Time and the one of the most powerful Titans of all..."
1. Chapter 1

"_Know that love is truly timeless."_

-Mary M. Ricksen

"Hey, Wise-Girl," Percy called from behind me. I turned to see his goofy smile. "Don't leave the son of Poseidon when you're going to the beach! It's basically an insult!"

I gave a slight snort. "Yeah. _Totally._"

He intertwined his fingers through mine as both of us headed towards the beach. As usual, the camp had no sign of rain, with the sun shining down on us. Some Aphrodite and Hermes kids were playing volleyball, making me smile while Connor and Travis gave each other high-tens enthusiastically. The lava climbing wall were being climbed on from what I could only assume was a newbie, because as soon as he started to climb he fell straight down, having severe burns all over his body as some Apollo campers took him away.

The typical day at Camp Half-Blood.

"So you okay?" I asked, looking at those amazing green eyes. They really were something, almost as precious as pearls.

"Sure, but I almost got my head shot by some arrows in archery today. Gods, I fail."

"Yeah, but Percy..." he rolled his eyes as he knew what I was going to say next. "Yolo!"

"Annabeth, 'Yolo Week' has been over more than over a month. Why are you still saying that?" he asked tiredly.

"Yolo."

"Sometimes, I wonder why you think you're the clever one," Percy sighed jokingly, nudging me slightly with his arm as we sneaked past Peleus.

"What, just because I do the best remarks, Seaweed Brain?" I teased, laughing. As we passed Thalia's Pine, I couldn't help remembering the first time I saw Percy with Grover, lying limply on the porch on the Big House and holding the Minotaur's horn.

And when he drooled in his sleep, of course.

Percy seemed to remember as well, as he shuddered but smiled, too. Probably because the memory of seeing his mother get vaporized still haunted him from time to time, and when I told him that he drooled in his sleep presumably made him smile. Being truthful is a good trait, so I just decided to give it to him to the start, thinking that we'd be comrades for a while and that he needed to trust me in order to come along to his quest... but all that seemed so long ago.

I just thought about how that got me to where I was now. He now trusted me with his life, and we both knew instantly that whatever we said was honest and meaningful.

We reached the beach, the waves softly coming back and forth. I wondered how Poseidon could control so much, with the world being 70 percent sea and all. Both of us stayed quiet for a minute, taking in the sound of the sea coming to the shore and smelling the wonderful scent.

I just really loved moments like this, when both of us wanted the same thing and didn't say a word. It gave me time to take all what happened in and look at Percy closing his eyes and smiling, feeling the waves. He looked so cute like that, so each time, like now, I pecked him on the lips and he opened those eyes and beamed down at me.

"Love you," I said.

"Love you too," he replied, making my smile coming up to my ears. Three years ago I never would've thought it would end up like this. I thought he fell for Rachel, the action-packed, naive, mortal, dumb –

Oh yeah. Sometimes I forget that she's actually my friend now.

We sat down, and I let the sand slip through my fingers. Ever since I first came to this beach with Percy alone, I've always sub-consciously done that. But, like always, I still didn't let go of Percy's hand, afraid that I'd lose him like I nearly did in Mt. Saint Helens.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked. I nodded in reply, but he still didn't seem satisfied. "It's your thinking face. What's up?"

"Percy, I always think about stuff."

"But usually you're not this... inward. Tell me."

"I'm not being _inward_."

"Yes you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"Percy –"

"Argh, just tell me, okay? What harm is there in telling me?" he asked frustratingly.

"It's just something you won't understand," I said truthfully, thinking of Rachel and her heart-consuming ways.

"Annabeth, I gave up immortality for you. What won't I understand?"

This caught me off guard, making me speechless. He never told me in such a serious tone, making me feel like he actually would understand. Why wouldn't he understand? Not like he never had heartbreak or anything. His heart must've been torn to pieces as soon as he saw all the killed kids in the war last year. I know that mine did, especially when Selena died.

Or, at least, when he left Calypso. It must've really ripped it into two when he decided to leave. I mean, leaving such a beautiful girl on her own on her wonderful and peaceful island with her invisible servants was such a _total devastation. _

_Shut up, Annabeth, _I thought to myself. _You're being selfish._

"I was just thinking..." I paused, thinking about what I was going to say. "It's just... three years ago, I never would've thought you'd give up being your father's general of his army and immortality for me. Percy, have you ever loved someone who never thought of you in that way?"

"Sure. Saw Angelina Jolie in one film, fancied her for two weeks straight."

I rolled my eyes. "No. Not a celebrity – someone who saw you as a friend and nothing more, even when you loved that person."

"Um, no –" he started, then realising what I meant and suddenly giving me a tight hug. "It's okay."

Tears came to my eyes. "I thought you loved Rachel."

"Well, I was wrong, you are right."

I raised my eyebrows. "How can that make sense?"

"I _thought _I loved Rachel, but in actual fact I have always sort of loved you," he said as we broke our embrace.

"Since when?" Looking back, I really was starting to get obnoxious.

"I don't know," he said.

"Then how can you say you always loved me?"

He bit his bottom lip, thinking, and then replied painfully, "I guess when you were captured by Atlas."

In all honesty, I may have guessed that was why Percy was so keen in rescuing me, but I always thought of it as a hopeless romantic side of me only desperate for possibilities. Now my romantic side was just slapping the realistic side, saying, _I told you so!_

I didn't say anything, worried he would've thought less of me if I pumped my fist in the air and shouted, 'KNEW IT!'

"When did you start loving me?" he asked.

It was now a conversation of real juicy lovey-dovey stuff the Aphrodite kids really watched out for. Luckily, there was no one else in earshot.

"Just when we came back from the sea of monsters," I replied quietly, staring at my feet. I somehow knew what Percy's reaction was going to be, which was raising his eyebrows with his eyes slightly widening.

"Really?" he said, astonished. "You waited that long?"

"Yep."

"What about Luke? You always had some kind of crush on him, right?"

I flinched when he said his name. "Luke was like a brother to me. Are you saying I have crushes on my brothers?"

He sighed for the thousandth time and stared at the horizon. "There it is again. You're being defensive."

I started to stare at the horizon too, as the sun started to set. It was beautiful, the sky being pink, yellow, red and blue all mixed together. I liked how we would always come and sit there every free evening we had until the night came, but sometimes we would've laid down and stargaze until we became cold.

"We should go back," Percy mumbled, getting off from his sandy seat and holding out his hand.

I took it and he hauled me up. "Yeah, the harpies might catch us."

We walked back to towards camp. Just from down the road, we could hear everyone singing from the campfire. I smiled, wanting to sing along, but the feeling vanished as soon as I saw who was there, standing in front of us.

A man with worn out jeans, stark white hair and braided beard, a cowboy hat and a denim jacket with the sleeves ripped off, stood in front of us. He looked so out of date, as if he was from the 60s and desperately wanted to become 'rocking', with his 'Don't mess with Texas' t-shirt.

No doubt I'd seen that before. Eurytion. But why would he wear the same clothes he wore when we visited in the Labyrinth, and how could he come out of the ranch anyway? He had to eternally work for Geryon.

"Ah, Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase, the heroes of Olympus, the ones who 'killed' me," he said in a cold voice, making me shiver.

What did he mean? He knew we killed thousands of monsters, what does it matter to him? Then the words repeat in my head. Heroes of Olympus...

I gasped. "Kronus."

Impossible! Luke vaporized him and his essence into ashes. He couldn't regenerate for at least thousands of years. He couldn't even sum up an army anymore, he was hopeless. How could he even get to Euryton? This wasn't methodically established. It couldn't be happening.

"We didn't kill you," Percy said distastefully, pulling my hand behind his back, me now behind him. I wriggled my hand out of his now death grasp and got out my knife from the belt wrapped around my leg.

Luke's knife.

"Yes, I know, my most trusted general in my army killed me, very humiliating, la la la. But it was your words that made my army fall, and now both of you must pay." He was staring at me with his chilling golden eyes, making me even more enraged.

"You killed yourself, not us," I said. "You _knew _Luke had a strong heart. Why did you hire him in the first place?"

"The same reason that lead my 'downfall'. Those with strong hearts prove themselves worthy in war, as demonstrated to Mr Jackson himself. They have hope even in the most saddest and worst of situations, making them incredibly useful. If Perseus had signed up to my army, I might've won."

"How did you come back and how did you get Euryton?" I finally asked.

"Do you think all the army was that dumb? Some didn't even come to the battle. They stayed back in case we were defeated, in which we were, therefore used their indicative as soon as they found out we lost. They immediately took action and thus gave my dear Euryton to me."

It took a while to sink in. So the army wasn't 100% defeated? The war hasn't technically finished? Some still hated their parents? _Euryton _hated Ares?

Oh gods.

They wanted to secretly get a new fresh, skilled army to start yet another devastating war. And Euryton was his new Luke. This all made sense to me now, when it only took Percy a few seconds. I didn't get why I was suddenly getting all slow on things, but I found the excuse of Luke.

Luke. My hand gripped the knife tightly. I was determined to defeat Kronus for Luke. He would've wanted me to anyway, always telling me to aim for the skies and never to hesitate on anything because life was too short. And anyways, if I did hesitate on a crisis some people could've got hurt.

In this case, _a lot _of people could get hurt.

"You're only going to lose again, Kronus," I said, feeling my arm tremble.

"Are you sure about that?" he said, almost teasingly. "What if, by chance, I travel back in time and kill your most precious warrior when he couldn't even fight back? You know, just in case I was the _Titan of Time _and the one of the most _powerful Titans of all_..."

"Why did you tell us your plan?" Percy asked, not a trace of fear in his voice.

"Because, my little 'hero'," he said, smiling darkly, "your friends can't do anything about it."

It took me a couple of seconds to process it. So Kronus is going to travel back in time to kill Percy? No. This sounded even more impossible than when we found out he came back to life. It couldn't be my Percy. I didn't let anything happen to him, why did Kronus suddenly possess his lifeline now?

And with that he disappeared. Percy locked eyes with me, and those green pearls looked worried.

Percy Jackson never feared anything.

"Percy!" I shouted as he collapsed, and fortunately I caught him before he hit the hard tarmac ground. He was breathing hard and his tanned skin growing ridiculously pale, frightening me. I gripped his hand and he gripped it hard, his face pained.

"Chiron! Apollo campers! Quickly!" I screamed. I doubted anyone would hear me, with the singing and all, but I kept on screaming. Percy's grip was beginning to loosen by the second.

"Annabeth, it's okay," he assured me, his voice full of pain and croaking. "They can't patch me up anymore."

"They can," I said, mostly for my benefit. "It'll probably be fine. It's just like... like when he stabbed me, it was nearly fatal, right? But they made me better. It'll be alright, Percy."

"It won't."

"It will!" My eyes were now getting blurry, and I didn't even bother to hold it in. A dam of tears streamed down my cheeks.

"No, Annabeth, it won't," he said, he too now crying. "Why are you arguing?"

"Sometimes you have to fight in what you believe in."

He smiled. "But what if both beliefs are right, Annabeth? Then who's wrong?"

His eyelids began to droop and his grip wasn't even a grip anymore. He was shaking so much it was if there was an earthquake.

"Don't you dare close those eyes, Percy," I cried, stroking his soft cheeks. "Don't you even think of it! Just think about the camp, and the Stolls; who's going to tell them to stop pranking on people? And Chiron, he's going to be heartbroken to let you go, Grover won't have his best friend to cheer him on his Lord of the Wild duties, and who's going to be slipping the ring on my finger? You will."

"You'll find someone, Wise-Girl."

I closed my eyes, trying to blink back my tears but it was hopeless. "Why does every moment have to be so hard?"

"I love you," he croaked.

"I love you too, Seaweed Brain," I whispered. Some campers came to see what were happening, most of them being Apollo kids. As soon as they saw Percy's state the rushed in to try and help, but even I knew it was too late.

Chiron seemed to know as well, as he turned away. Nico pushed away the campers that were gathering around us, and looked at horror to see his cousin dying. He held his breath and covered his eyes.

Then Percy's hand slipped away from mine and his chest stopped breathing.

"He's gone."

**Sorry if this is too depressing, I'll try to do more, um, funny chapters as the story goes on! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'M SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING! I'm so terrible! But it's because I've been focusing on my other story, 'Percy Jackson and the Spell of the Hunger Games' (Harry Potter/Percy Jackson/Hunger Games crossover, if you don't mind me mentioning!) too much. I mean, it was just becoming more and more exciting to write lol!**

**Thank you for the awesome reviews and follows, you're really awesome!**

**You can check that out if you want after you read this. But, you know, you don't have to :D**

**I hope this chapter will be a little happier than the last, and I'm sorry if I don't update as regularly as you would like! Enjoy :)**

Everyone started to forget who Percy was.

At first, everyone was depressed about Percy's death, and they'd give me sympathetic looks which would make me blood boil. I never liked sympathy – it told me that they thought I'm this weak girl who's unstable. _I'll let you know when I'm unstable! (Punch!)_

They made him a shrine, and although it was difficult, I made it past the ceremony.

Then as the weeks went by, people didn't question me about what happened, even the Aphrodite cabin that didn't get enough of the romance of it all. Chiron wouldn't bring him up, which was fine by me, but suspicious all the same.

Then I noticed the picture of me and Percy on the wall – it wasn't there anymore. It was just me, smiling.

"Um, Chiron?" I asked, pointing at the photo. "Where's Percy?"

"Who is he?"

_Who is he? He's your favourite pupil, the one that died a month ago? The one that defeated Kronus, saved the world and countless lives multiple of times and my boyfriend? That guy? _I replied in my head. But I said nothing, because the response was obviously going to be a confused look.

So I said a quick goodbye to Chiron, and rushed out to the only place where I knew there was going to be a device that could help this type of group amnesia.

Breathless, I found Leo, making some kind of miniature robot in the forge I only found out a year ago existed. It was walking for a while on one of the desks before freezing. "Yeah, not enough energy," he said then noticed me. "Oh. Hey."

"Hey. Do you remember Percy?" I said, getting to the point. I had no time for getting into a deep conversation about the pros and cons about making a robot.

"Um... no. But I'm sure he's a great guy," he said, smiling.

"Good save," I congratulated numbingly, unimpressed. No matter what, this guy could always annoy people. "Seriously, though, are you sure? He's the one that saved the world? You know, he helped lead us with Jason on the quest we went to?"

"Yeah, there were six of us. I don't think there was anyone called Percy there."

"_Di immortales!_" I scowled."He was! He's the son of Poseidon! Styx, Leo, this is not a joke –"

"I swear, I don't remember anything, okay?"

"He died a month ago, right outside at Half-Blood Hill! I was there, and you were too, everybody was. And you don't remember?" I said, pain in my voice. I tried not to cry.

"Look, I'm sorry for your loss, but I wasn't there."

I took in a big breath. "Okay. Have you got anything that will help you get over amnesia?"

Leo laughed. "I haven't got amnesia, but there is a holographic phone thing if you want to contact a doctor the cool way." He delved, looking for this Star Wars technology that was hidden somewhere on the countless worktops that were full of designs, paper and gadgets, then froze when he picked up a relatively small one. "You're the only one that can remember Percy, right?"

"Yes," I said, sounding more desperate. "He had his father's sea-green eyes and hair, and a cute smile, and tall, and tanned... I remember everything."

"Have you done time travel before?"

"Leo! This is no time for Doctor Who!" I snapped, offended that he'd take this as a joke.

"Listen," he said. "If you're the only one that remembers him, you're the one that _saved _him, okay? It only makes sense."Leo held out the small, life-changing technology to me. "Seriously, man, if you want to save his life, take it."

Without hesitation, I took it. "So, how do you work this thing?"

"Easy. See that button, there?" He pointed at the green plus sign. "That's your past time travel button. You press how many years you want to go back, likewise with the red one – except that's for the future."

"I'll use the future one when I get back, right?" I said.

"Yeah. Where did Percy's mom meet up with Poseidon?"

The sky rumbled. I muttered a sorry and carried on, "At Montauk beach, I think."

"OK, so stand there when you do your button shiz, press the yellow one then presto!" He beamed a goofy smile that reminded me of Percy. "You're there!"

"Thanks, Leo," I said. "See you, um, soon."

***...*...***

_Right_, I thought, starting to press the green button seventeen times, the sea wind in my ears. _This is for Percy, right? And anyway, it'll be an experience. I'll see Sally in her younger days, pregnant. And if need be, I'll be with Percy in his younger days. It's going to be a brilliant experience, right?_

But I couldn't help thinking that this wasn't a good idea. No, it was a bad one. I shouldn't have been messing with time! What if I changed something that was vital to the life we know it now, in the present? On the other hand, Kronus shouldn't have, either.

I breathed in the salty sea air, pressed the yellow button and prepared myself for travelling in time.

You'd think that there was this endless swirly time thing tube that I was falling into and pop up at the beach again. But really, as soon as I pressed that button I felt myself falling on the sand and going unconscious. When I woke, it was cold and wet, and I knew I was in the 90s again.

I stood up and shook my head, since my hair was soaking wet from the sudden rain. I slipped the device in my pocket. I didn't want anyone to see a weird square thing on me – they'd thing it was some sort of toy and come to a conclusion that I was mentally ill or something.

Although I could remember the place by memory, I examined at my surroundings. There was hardly anyone there except a woman on a bench with a hooded black waterproof jacket, alone, looking out to the sea. At first I thought it was suspicious, since Sally would mourn for Poseidon on their favourite beach. But when I came nearer, it seemed like it was just another girl.

_Total disappointment_, I know. I sighed, approached her and said, "Excuse me, hi. Um, have you seen a lady about my height, brown hair, nice smile? She was on this beach. Have you seen her?"

The girl put down her hood so I could see her facial features, and I was blown away at how different she looked. Of course, she had the same sparkly blue eyes and everything, but she had no grey streaks in her hair and she looked so... _young_.

She probably heard my gasp as wiped away her tears and looked at me questioningly. "You're not one of those monsters, are you? 'Cause if you are –"

"I'm no monster," I said laughingly, not wanting her to know of my godly heritage yet. I mean, what if she had a long-lost twin or something? A long-shot, I know, but being a demigod teaches you many things, expecting the unexpected being one of them. "I'm Annabeth."

"Sally," she said as I sat down. "So how did you appear?"

I took it as normal what-brings-you-here question, so I acted, "By car."

"Really?" she said, obviously amused. "Like, your car is invisible and just _appeared _in the middle of the beach?"

Wow. Just wow. Percy did mention that his mom had a rebellious streak, which I didn't believe until now. I had known this soft, calm and bubbly person, and when she snapped at me like that I can't say I wasn't surprised.

Well. Just how do I reply to that? _Yup, you got me! I'm magic! Sorry I lied to ya! Now buh-bye! _

"Umm..." was my only reply.

"Listen, _Annabeth_. I'm sorry you came here, expecting someone not to notice, but you did. You know, Poseidon _did _tell me about you... things. So he gave me this." She held out a knife from her pocket. "Said it was celestial bronze."

I snorted. Seriously, she thought she could threaten _me _with a little _celestial_? "Okay. Stab me and let's see if we're right."

She raised her eyebrow and did was she was told, which, of course, ended in the knife going right through me with no damage left. "Oh my God, I'm sorry," she apologised, her hand on grasped around her mouth. "I've had a couple of tough days recently. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

That was the Sally I knew. I took a seat next to her. "It's okay. I'm not that good with people leaving me, either."

"Are you one of those gods?" she said. "Like Aphrodite? Or Demeter? I've heard of those."

I forced myself not to laugh as the skies rumbled. "Don't say those names. They're dangerous. They attract monsters. But to answer your question – I'm flattered, I really am, but no, I'm no god."

"Then who are you? And how do you know about me and Pos – about someone leaving me?"

Oh Styx.

"Um... I'm Annabeth Chase –" Sally looked at me, unimpressed – a face that she'd give Percy when he said he forgot to do his homework. I sighed. "I'm a demigod, okay? From the future. And I know you since I was 13, 14?"

"How?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. You're pregnant." Not the nicest and best way to tell someone that type of news, but not the worst, I can safely say.

Sally immediately stood up. "Okay! Okay, I've officially gone insane." And started walking off, muttering, "Imagining teenage girl... telling me I'm pregnant... weirdest one yet..."

Anger surged through me. How could she just walk away after all what happened to me? If only she knew what her son's fate was, then she would listen!

"Sally!" I yelled as she turned at me. I stormed towards her. "Are you calling me a part of your imagination? Do you _realise _how much effort and tears I've gone through to be with you today? I _knew _your son, Sally! I _know _that your parents died in an aeroplane crash when you were five, that you had to give up high school to help cure your Uncle Richard! I _know _that you fell in love with the sea god here, in Montauk. I _know _that he left you to protect you. What you have in there –" I pointed at her belly, "is actually someone I know, and the last bit of him –" I looked at the sea and back to Sally, "you have left. And I'm _here _to _protect _you and _him_!"

With all those words I was biting back my tears. I kept remembering Percy's goofy grin that would always made me laugh, his annoyed face at his first Capture the Flag game when I told him my plot, his brave face when he conquered Kronos, his dying last words... _that underwater kiss_...

"Him?" she said, surprised her hand on her belly. "Are you saying – you're really –"

"_Yes!"_ I cried, and I burst into tears. I know, pretty stupid, but the whole frustration and depression of it all was absolutely eating me alive. And I just wanted Sally to believe me. If she said no, I could lose him forever, and the world... it'd be so different.

"Shhh, it's OK," she comforted. Did this mean she believed me, trusted me, even? It was in Sally's nature to, I guess. Still comforting, nonetheless. "Let's go back to my room, then you can explain to me _everything_. And I'll do the test, okay? Just to be sure."

***...*...***

"Oh my goodness!" she shrieked from the bathroom. "I'm – I'm pregnant!"

She was in the bathroom, taking the test like she said she would do. Of course, I already knew she was with-child in the first place, but I felt thrilled to be there, first hand. I mean, I wasn't going to blurt out, _Ain't no shit, Sherlock, _on the day she found out.

"Congratulations, Mrs Jackson!" I said as she came in, grinning from ear to ear.

She was sobbing; I guessed it was from delight, but you never know. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she said quietly, staring at the stick she had in her hand. "I... I just can't believe it. _I'm pregnant!_"

"Yep, you're pregnant," I agreed.

She was laughing now, squealing, "I'm pregnant!"

I stood up from the chair and hugged her as she had tears streaming down her cheeks with happiness. "You still need to explain everything, though," she said as we broke apart.

I sighed. I've been explaining all my life, but I always seem to repeat the same information again and again. "Well, it's a long story. You need to sit down."

Her smile dropped. "Is it a nice story? 'Cause demigods don't have fortunate lives, do they?"

"I suppose not," I confessed, plopping myself down on her bed as she sat down, cross-legged, in the middle of the mattress.

So I told her everything. The drunken step-father she was going to have to marry to save Percy (not mentioning his name, of course, since that would ruin the whole I-named-you-because-I'm-your-mother-and-it-was-my-decision thing) from monsters, the night when I saw Percy, unconscious, outside Camp Half-Blood with Grover muttering 'FOOD'. I decided to leave out when Sally was vaporized into dust by the Minotaur part, since she wouldn't want those exact details.

"I remember Poseidon mentioning that camp," she said, looking at the ocean out from the window. "He said it was a place where demigods could be safe. But I don't like the idea of leaving children with monsters in the woods and a lava climbing wall."

"We're hard-wired for the stuff," I explained. "I've been in that place for ten years. And it's a beautiful place, it really is. It's not a Roman gladiator arena or anything."

"Still not really keen on it," Sally mumbled.

I decided to ignore her statement. "Well, to cut a long story short, from that moment on your son became a good friend of mine," I said with a smile. "Did I mention he drools in his sleep?"

"Does he?" she laughed. "Takes after me, then."

I laughed. "So? Are you excited still?" I asked, nodding my head at her belly, growing pretty excited myself, even though I know what will happen to this little boy that was growing inside her.

"I don't know what to feel, actually. I mean, I'm _worried _about the financial issues, with it not being planned and all. I'm _happy _to be a mom, I can't say I'm not, but I have a feeling like this is a mistake. I shouldn't be having a kid with such an unfortunate future."

I shoot up from my seat. "What? You think having Pe – having your _son _who's going to become a hero to the worldis a _mistake_? He's going to save millions of lives, Sally!"

"But he's a _demigod_," she tried to reason.

"But _I'm _a demigod!" I defended desperately. I didn't want Sally to think negatively about having Percy. "And I've made it seventeen years, nearly eighteen! Nearly an adult, here! And I know _loads_ demigods have these many years to live. We – I've made it this far because I've had a really supportive parent." OK, not exactly true, but lies are good as long as you use them for the better, right?

"So who's your parents?" she asked, making me fall silent. I wasn't prepared to give her this much information – this is meddling with _time_, I've already gave her dollops of knowledge that I shouldn't have even given in the first place. What was I _doing_?

"Athena," I said before I could stop myself. (Facepalm)

"Really? I thought she was an eternal virgin?" Had she been _studying _Greek mythology or something?

"My mom – she's an eternal maiden, yes, but she was born from someone's head," I explained half-heartedly, not even bothering to mention anymore names. "So I was born the same way, coming out of her head and got delivered to my dad."

"But then... did she and your dad, you know," she started, blushing. "If you came out from her head, and she's a virgin, then how –"

"Sally, do you want to know the whole story of my birth?" I asked, laughing. In some ways, she's just like Percy.

**Again, I'm so so sorry for the delay!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! Thanks for the reviews and I hope this wasn't a **_**too **_**long wait! Tell me if there's anything to improve, and enjoy! :D**

"What about this?" she said to me excitedly, holding up a blue hat with a wave-theme to it. "Doesn't it fit?"

I stared at it, thinking how much horror and embarrassment it would bring Percy when he found out I knew about this. Which he never will. "Yes!" I replied, laughing and snatching the hat off her to examine. _Yep. Nice payback. _"This'll look perfect!"

"You sure he won't get embarrassed?" she said, looking at me quizzically. She was about three weeks away from the big day when her boy will finally be born, and personally, I couldn't wait; the moaning from Sally was eating me alive.

"No," I said, shaking my head, trying to seem serious.

"You are a _really _bad friend," she joked as she placed the hat back.

We were shopping for baby clothes, and I wouldn't miss it. I mean, I couldn't. It was special for both me and Sally in complete different ways – me to totally humiliate him in the future and Sally for him to look cute.

Oh, please. Don't think of me being cruel and completely disloyal but hey, if you had the chance to pick your boyfriend's baby clothes, you'd do the same.

Sally suggested taking a coffee break, since she started to feel tired. I offered Starbucks, and at first she declined, saying it was too expensive for our financial state right now, but she couldn't resist in the end.

After a couple of silent minutes of drinking our coffees, Sally broke the silence. "How's he like?"

"Who?"

"_Him_," she said, her eyes lighting up as she pointed her finger at her belly.

I raised my eyebrows. Sally never really asked questions like that – we'd talk about normal stuff, like how the pretzel line was so long and experiences. It was like we were best friends, sharing a flat, not her future son's girlfriend ready to save the day.

I thought for a moment before answering, "A Seaweed Brain."

She snorted. "Real nice."

"There's been others, like Kelp Head and that. He called me Wise Girl, if that makes you feel better," I said. I felt as if I could tell her everything – except about Percy and that he died. I decided to change the subject into something less depressing. "Have you got a name?"

"Yes, I –" Her eyes darted behind me, and her mouth gaped open. "Oh my God," she gasped. "It's Tracy Harkin from High School."

"Who?" I said for the second time, turning my head to a girl in her twenties trotting towards a table in her Jimmy Choos, presumably with her 'girlfriends'.

"She was a popular girl. Apparently she's a lawyer now," she whispered. "Get under the table."

"What? Why?"

"Just get under!" she scowled, dragging my arm. "If she sees me pregnant like this, she'll think I was raped or something stupid!"

"She a girl who comes to sudden conclusions?"

"Yeah," she said. "Really annoying. Has this laugh that's obnoxious, attempted to prank me in gym class once with the showers."

We heard her laugh, and I was shocked; it sounded like a cross between a horse and a seal. "What'd she do?"

"Evil things," she said, blushing. _Oh._

"Oh," I said. I really hated those types of girls. "So we wait under here."

"And hope she doesn't hear or spot us," she added.

So we spent about half-an-hour waiting for this Tracy girl to get out of a Starbucks cafe, trying not to burst out laughing or generally get busted. It was strange; I'd never guess I'd spend a day with Sally Jackson hiding under a table.

Just before the evil Tracy picked up her designer bag and left her friends, her eyes darted spotted us. "Gina, Stacey, look," she said, calmly at first but shrieking in the end. "OMG, OMG YOU GUYS!" the girl screeched from across the cafe.

"Oh Styx."

"Oh, hell," Sally said, her heads in her hands to hide her face. "Just kill me now."

"Escape?" I suggested.

"Quickly."

And we did. Or tried to, at least. I mean, seriously, try to run away from your enemy with pregnant woman with you. It's not easy, especially when you have Tracy, who turns out to be extremely skilled with high heels, sprinting behind you. _In New York City._

"Here," I said, turning a corner into a small alleyway. No, I wasn't stupid – I wasn't going to get myself into trouble with backstreet stabbers. This was a street that conveniently lead to our apartment. But unluckily for us, it was a long walk.

"At least we've lost her," Sally said, giving a sigh. "Thanks for, you know, running away from a high school cheerleader with a pregnant lady."

"It's OK," I said as we started walking. "But are you OK? I mean, you shouldn't be doing all that with a baby in you."

"He's a demigod, right?" she said, smiling at me. "He's going to do more dangerous things in the future, isn't he?"

I was about to say that Percy always missed out the terrifying parts, but decided to change the subject. "You said you had a name. What have you got?"

"Hercules," she answered, having a proud look in her eyes. "I mean, he was strong, and didn't hesitate when he killed the nine-headed Hydra."

I just wanted to laugh out loud. I could _not _picture Percy with the name Hercules. That'd be plain weird, since the name isn't even Greek. Yeah, they are the same person, but with a Roman spelling...

Then a picture of Jason strangling me for saying that popped in my head, making me reply, "You mean Heracles?"

"Heracles?" she said. "I haven't heard of him before."

"_Hercules _is the Roman spelling. It's more well-known," I explained, "whereas _Heracles _is the Greek spelling."

"Oh. Okay," she said. "Still, I like it."

"Don't you think having your child in a Greek camp having a Roman name is a little, uh, weird?" I said. "Like, Poseidon is Greek."

She shook her head as we turned a corner. "Not really. _You're_ all demigods. _They're_ all gods. It's still the same."

We walked in silence for a couple of minutes as I wondered about all the people I know. Most of them would be little kids, not knowing their future. Thalia would be five years old with her drunken mom. Luke would be seven, scared to his wits by his mother's glowing bright green eyes. Travis and Connor would be born around about now. _And_ _I'd be a baby._

_Freaking hell, I'm a baby! _That really was messing with my mind. I'd be here, and somewhere else at the same time.

"You okay?" Sally asked me, and I realised we were opening the door to our apartment. Funnily enough, it was the same exact place Percy grew up in, except from Gabe's smelly stench and poker games or Paul's books and strewn paperwork.

"I'm a baby," I said casually, receiving an is-this-a-joke look from Sally while she plopped herself on one of the cheap couches. "I was born a couple of months ago."

She shot me an even more incredulous look. "Honey, you're eighteen."

Oh yeah, I forgot to add; I had my birthday in the past with Sally. It was fun, since we bought some pizza and had iced blue cake. Not only did it remind me of Seaweed Brain, but it was delicious. Two in one.

I was too mind-blown to even think about that then. "No, I'm not. I'm technically only a couple of months old."

"Annabeth, you're not making any sense."

"I'm from the _future_, Sally," I reasoned before noticing how tired she looked. "Do you want anything? Like a coffee?"

"Yes, please."

I headed towards the kitchen, wondering whether if I should have a hot chocolate instead, when I opened the door to see a god, staring at me. Not in an _'Oh, hey, Annabeth! Nice to see you again!' _way, but an _'I am SO going to kill you right now' _way.

_Styx! _Quietly, I shut the door, hoping Sally wouldn't suspect anything. "Annabeth," she said sternly.

"Oh. Hey Mom," I said, as calmly as I could. She only saw me when something either really pissed her off or something really important. "How are you?"

She looked at me, unimpressed, with her gray eyes. _So this is how I look like when I'm annoyed_, I thought to myself. "_What_ – just _what_ – do you think you're doing?"

"Obviously something you don't want me to do," I mumbled.

"You're biting off more than you can chew," she said matter-of-factly. Well, she _was _the goddess of wisdom, so I couldn't mock her by saying she was a clever-clogs. In my mind, of course. "You should've talked to Chiron, or the gods, before you came back here. It's a very heroic thing to do, it really is, but... no. This isn't wise, Annabeth."

"I know," I said, receiving a surprised face from Mom. "I'm your _daughter_, Mom. Of course I would've realised by now."

"Oh. Okay." She really looked taken aback by my response.

My mind suddenly thought about my worried state of my baby-ness when I blurted, "Did you send me to Dad?"

She looked at me in a way I've never seen a god look at me before; regret. "Yes," she answered quietly. "And how old –"

"Eighteen," I said, giving a weak smile. "Is Dad okay?"

Mom nodded. It hit me that she really did fall for my dad, along with many other smart guys. And she fell _hard_. "Hey, it'll be fine," I assured her. "I'll be with Seaweed Brain for as long as it takes. Leo told me how to come back, and everything will be like it used to be."

"Annabeth, it's not that simple," she said, concerned. "The day you travelled back in time, is the day your friends believed you went missing. Some even believed Hera took you away."

"But I'll come back. You'll see."

She sighed. "If you stay, you'll get mayor headaches and some sudden black-outs, which will be inexcusable for your health. Annabeth, please, go back, and the gods will do some blessings for both Sally and the, ah, _Seaweed Brain_. Theywill be safe in my hands."

"I'm not leaving them," I said. "Not until Kronus and his army give up."


End file.
